There are many kid trackers on the market, but none like the kind house arrest people get that cannot be removed without a key. Let's make a consumer version for parents.
Use cases:
Go to a park with your kid, set a GPS perimeter in the app and let him/her run free. Parents can relax not always making sure the kid hasn't gone missing.
Bracelet will buzz more and more as the kid gets further away from perimeter edge. It does not shock the kid but the buzzing makes them want to return to allowed zone.
App lets parents get a video feed from camera on device pointing up.
There is a microphone & speaker on device, parents can push a button to talk walkie-talkie style.
Child doesn't have to push a button, just talk, parents can push the listen button.
Run a day-care at a park with N kids, each with ankle bracelet. One day care worker can monitor many kids easily with confidence none are missing.
@morse86 That’s the job, I have kids too - and it’s not that I thought they would get lost when they where small, but rather fall or goof so they would be sad and need their parents.
@danaport i think the idea would be to check in regularly with video and audio. The microphone could even detect if an adult voice has to talking to them for > N seconds. Eating something they shouldn't that's a hard one to stop but that's not something current parents can do at parks without this device.
@morse86 Are you saying that you wish you could let your 3 year old run around a public place without you having to pay attention to them? What a horrible idea lol
@kneephite Kids go missing all over the world - what's American about it. It's so easy for you to lose your kid so having a simple way of tracking them makes sense. I mean - you watch them constantly but it only takes a split second for them to be taken.
@stellarnaut I know right!? Makes me want to open a day care business with these. You win against other centers because 1) no building rent cost there is no building! 2) you can move from park to park giving kids all sorts of new outdoor places to explore all day.
@morse86 I dont really see the day care use case, more of a private use one. Just to track where your kids are and to make sure youll have location if they get kidnapped.
@lopolik Yea. Terrible privacy issue. Just wait for the Russians to be hack+track the kids.
Plus. Just watch your kids. Interact with them. Put the phone down.
@morse86 My concern would be that this would give daycare providers incentive to not pay attention.
Do you have any data to suggest that kids wandering away at parks is currently an issue? Obviously it can happen but in my experience there's always multiple adults keeping eye on the kids, and the play areas are typically enclosed by a fence.
I could also see kids testing these devices to see how far away they can get before anyone notices.
I also think ankle bracelets seem a little invasive. You need to make it lightweight enough that I could be attached to a shirt or put in a pocket or something like that.
@bornagainbride No the whole idea is they cannot remove it themselves. Our three year old would. And he would also walk outside the park fence if not watched. It's not giving them incentive to not pay attention it's making it so they can focus on games and activities for those kids that want to participate but let the kids that want to wander around at their own pace do so safely.
